Henky helm



H. HELM.

Straw Cutter.

Patented June H, 1867.

No. 65,571.l

llllr N. PETERS. PHorO-UTHDGRAPHER, WASHINGTON. Dv C,

atten tetes gatrut fftrr.

HENRY HELM, OF PITTSBRG, PENNSYLVANIA.

` Letters Patent No. 65,571, dated June 1I, 1867.

FEED-GUTTER.

iii-ige rlgehuie'trfemt in im time tettet nteut mit mating glatt yif tigt samt TO ALL WHOM IT MAY CONCERN:

Be it known that I, HENRY HELM, of Pittsburg, in the county of-Allegheny, and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful improvement in Feed-Cutters; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making a part of this specification, in which- A Figure 1 is a top view of the feed-cutter.

Figure 2 is a vertical section passing longitudinally through the middle,

Figure 3 is a transverse section, showing the cutting apparatus; and

Figure 4 is a perspective view of the apparatus for feeding.

Like letters of reference refer to like parts o f each.

The natureof my invention consists in the construction and adjustment of the knife of a feed-cutter and improved apparatus for feeding.

Toenable others skilled in the art to make and use my invention, I will proceed to describe its construction and operation.

The box ."L, with its framework, varies from theuSuaI'frm only sullicient to'adapt itself to the devices to be described. The wheel a receives motion from a crank, or from a belt passing over it, or by other ordinary device, which it communicates, by cogs a on the inner face of its outer rim, or by bevel or other equivalentV gearing, to the pinion @fand through it andthe shaft d, running in boxes d', to the ily-wheel e and knife-block f. The wheels and gearing thus described are made of any known material adapted to such uses, and of any practicable known form.- The knife-block f, however, I usually make of wood, of sufficient diameter and thickness to support the knife g', which is made commonly of steel, wholly or in part, or of other similar material, and sufficiently thick to secure the requisite-stiffness. As represented in the drawings, and as I commonly make it, its outer or cutting edge y is of the shape of an eccentric curve, the centre of the curve being at one Side of the centre of revolution. By this means I bring the edge of the knife, as it revolves, with a graduallyl increasing force against the straw or other material to be cnt, and secure for Ait a cutting or 'slicing stroke, which,

in such devices, is the most economical way of ,applying power. In the knife, as represented, are holes, or, more commonly, slots h 7L', in any required number, the slot h of such direction and length that the knife g may be raised or lowered in the directionof the radius passing through the outer extremity of such slot, and through the knife at or near that part of its edge farthest distant from the centre of the shaft d. `The slot h commonly runs atan angle of nearly or exactly forty-five degrees to the radius passing through its outer extremity, and 0n the side of such radius toward the edge of the knife g, so that when the knife is lowered the narrow end of it will be carried outward from the centre of the shaft ol, as well as downward in the direction 'of the slot h. The knife g is attached to the knife-block f by `adjustable screws t' z', with heads sufficiently broad to clamp the knife g firmly-toits place. Thus adjusted the edge of the knife will always be in the same position with refer-1 ence to the material to be cut. The knife g has also a projection, p, at or near the extremity of vits 4longest radius.A Immediately under the knife g, and attached to the front end of the feed-box :v,'is a. curved bar, Z, either grooved or having a notch, Z', on its upper and inner face, in which plays the projection p, and usually a part of the edge ofthe knife g, the radius of the curve of the bar Z being equal to, or a little4 in excess of, the longest radius of the knife g. In the bottom of the boxw, and a little in rear of the knife g and curved bar l, is a toothed feed-roller, m, so set that itsl teeth s s s shall project suiiciently above the bottom of the box n: as to carry, as it revolves, the straw or other contents of the box forward under the knife g. In the bed or frame of the feed-box w, forward of the roller m, are attached wires or metallic strips 1t n, in any desirable number, which project back between the teeths s, tting close to the upperface of the 'roller m, and extending around it suiii= ciently far to keep their places, their function being to prevent the straw or other material to be cut from passing' down forward of the roller m,`and between it and the box at, in which it is set. llllbove the roller m is an adjustable keeper, o, which may be raised or lowered at pleasure, to compress the' straw while being carried forward over the roller 'm and under the knife g. The feed-roller m is turned by a ratchet device, represented in iig. i. On the shaft d is an eccentric, y, which communicates motion, through the bent lever q, its two arms qand q being nearlyr or quite at right angles to each other, te the ratchet-bar r, which, in turn, is geared fd the ratchet-wheel r', attached to the head of the roller m, so that, with the backward movement of the ratchetbar r, the roller m will be turned forward. The pawl t prevents the backward motion of the roller, and the spring u holds the ratchet-bar ,T toits place. The feeding apparatus thus described is attached to the framework ofthe feed-cutter by bearings z e" e. The crank i7 I usually make not only adjustable but also removable, -in case it should be desired to connect the wheel a, by a belt or otherwise, with a horse, steam, or other mechanical power.

The advantages of the knife as described over other knives in ordinary use consist, among other things, in-

ease and accuracy of adjustment, nothing being necessary thereto except loosening` the screws it', in the peculiarity of' its cut or stroke, as above set forth, in the readiness witlrwhich it can be sharpened without being removed from its block f, and in its adaptedness to cut hay, straw, corn-stalks, or other similar product, ordinai-ily used for feeding. The projection p, usually blunt and not sharpened, cleans out the groove or notch l with each revolution of the knife g.

I do notlimit myseli` in my invention to the particular form of the knife above described, though I consider it the best; but having described the devices I employ, as shown in the drawings, I will proceed to show the applicability of the mode of manufacture and adjustment above set forth to knives theedges of which have other curves than the eccentric-curve described. Knives whose edges g give a snail-shell curve, or spiral or other similar curve, in which the radii increase in length in the direction opposite to the direction of the motion of the knife, I employ in substantially the same Way and with a .similarmode of adjustment. I also include in my invention knives the edges of which are of the shape of either half of a oycloidal orepicycloidal curve bisected in or near the line of its axis. A knife whose edge is of a parabolic or hyperbolic curve similarly bisected may be used in the same way, with the same or a similar adjustment also, if the edge. represents that part of an elliptic curve cut o by the intersection of the major and minor axes. In all the above cases I attach the knife to the knife-blockfand shaft 0l by slots, as described, or otherwise, in such a way that lines from the centre of motion to the edge of the knife shall increase in length in the direction opposite to the direction of the motion of the knife as it revolves. In the same way, also, I attach and use a knife whose edge is the are of a circle.

In adjusting the knivesabove described I do not limit myself in all cases to theuse of the slots L la', as I fasten the knives to the position described by ther slots and screws, as set forth, or by other known means; nor do I restrict myself-to the use of the knife-blockffor the purposeof attaching the knife g to the shaft d, since, for this purpose, I employ, in addition thereto, any of the methods in common use for fastening circular-plate knives or saws to revolving shafts.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The rotary eccentric knife g, provided with slots t L, in combination with the knife-block jf, substantially as and for the purposes described. v

2. The projection y) on the knife of a feed-cutter, in combination with the curved bar Z, providedwith a notch or groove, t', substantially as and for the purpose above described.

In testimony whereof I, the said HENRY HELM, have hereunto set my hand in presence of- HENRY HELM.

Witnesses:

ALLAN O. BAKEWELL, .EDWARD LYNCH. 

